Machine for making prismatic glass.



No. 695,281. Patented Mar. n. I902. 12. x. cummmas.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PRISMATIC GLASS.

(Application filed May 18, 1898.)

(No mm.)

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS llnrTEn STATES PATENT @EErcE.

GEORGE K. CUMMINGS, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR MAKING PRlSMATIC GLASS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,281, dated March11, 1902.

Application filed May 18, 1898.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE K. CUMMINGS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of New York, county and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Machine for Making Prismatic Glass, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof.

My invention relates to a machine for rolling sheets of prismatic glassprovided with ribs of angular or prismatic form, from which panes ofprismatic glass or what are known as prism-lights of any desired shapecan be cut; and the object of the invention is to provide a machine bymeans of which such sheets of prismatic glass can be easily andaccurately and economically made, which machine shall be simple inconstruction and easy to operate.

Heretofore it has been the general practice to make panes of prismaticglass orprismlights by a molding process. In this process a mold had tobe prepared having the exact form and outline and size of theprism-light to be produced and glass had to be compressed in this moldby suitable means and then removed therefrom. No other practicable meansor device has been known or used in the art for the manufacture of suchprism-lights.

My improved machine is provided with a revolving plain roller, asupporting device to hold the glass against the roller, provided withparallel ribs of a prismatic form correspond- 3 5 ing to the depressionsto be made in the glass, the said roller and supporting device having atraversing motion relatively to each other.

My machine is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 isa side view thereof; Fig. 2, a plan view, and Fig. 3 across-sectional view thereof. Similar numbers refer to similar parts inthe different figures. a

Referring now to the preferred form of my invention shown in thedrawings, 1 is a suitable framework, which I prefer to mount upon wheels2,so that the machine can be conveniently moved from place to place.This framework carries the table 3, upon which the mol- '50 ten glass ispoured in the operation of the ma chine and which serves, among otherthings,

Serial No. 681,010. (No model) .to support the glass against the rollerduring the rolling operation. This table is provided with a series ofparallel ribs of a prismatic form corresponding to the depressions to bemade in the glass. In the form of ribs shown herein in the drawings theribs are parallel continuous ribs 4, triangular in cross-section andhaving a cutting edge at their outerangle. These ribs are parallel withoneanother and are also parallel with the direction of motion of themovable part of the machine, whether that be the roller or the tableitself.

The ribs 4 are preferably made to extend the entire length of the table3.

'5 5 are racks which are fastened in any suitable manner to the sides ofthe table or the frame. The racks 5 5 are made vertically adjustable byany suitable device, so that the roller can be lifted to any suitabledistance above the table and the thickness of the plate of glass therebyregulated.

6 6 are strips which are placed along the sides of the table?) and uponwhich the roller rides, the thickness of these strips determining thethickness of the completed plate. These strips also serve to determinethe width of the plate and to form the sides thereof, as clearlyindicated in Fig. 3.

7 is a roller which is provided with a plain or smooth surface. Thisroller is adapted to ride on the strips 6 6. The roller is provided atits ends with the gear-wheels 8 S, which are adapted to mesh with theracks 5.

9 9 are hand-wheels attached to the roller, by means of which the rollercan be revolved and moved from one end of the table to the other. Thecutting edges of the triangular ribs 4 of the table extend in adirection toward the roller 7 The operation of the machine is asfollows: The roller and table are first heated by any suitable means, soas to be broughtto the proper temperature for operating upon the glass.This can be done by simply pouring a certain amount of molten glassuponthe roller and table until they are properly heated. If the rollerand table are used in a cold state, they will be found to chill theglass,

and thereby to inj are the product. The roller having been moved to oneend of the table, the molten glass is poured on the table in front ofthe roller, a sufficient quantitybeing supplied to the table to make afull sheet of prismatic glass. The surface of the glass which comes intocontact with the ladle and also with the air and with the table ischilled to some extent. In order to make the mass of glass as nearlyhomogeneous in tem perature as possible, the glassis first stirred onthe table by any suitable form of stirrer. By means of the hand-wheels 9the roller is then rolled along the table, so as to roll the mass intothe form of a sheet of prismatic glass. The prismatic ribs on the tableform a series of parallel triangular grooves. These grooves act aschannels or troughs. The natural tendency of the glass is to flow downor along these troughs. As the roller moves over the table and bearsdown upon the glass a sufficient quantity of the glass passes underneaththe roller to fill up all the space between the table and the roller,filling up the grooves or troughs between the ribs on the table andformingcomplete and perfect and clean-cut prismatic projections on theunder surface of the glass. The rest of the glass mass is eas- 'ilyforced by the roller along the troughs. The sharp edges of the ribs onthe table easily penetrate or divide the lower layer of the glass, andthe glass. readily flows to the bottom of each trough and fills thetrough full, making a perfect prismatic rib on the glass plate completein form and outline and with clean-cut edges and without imperfections.The glass does not encounter any square surfaces or shoulders which tendto break or tear the glass irregularly and to chill it more at one pointthan at another. Moreover, the glass being forced along the straightsurfaces of the troughs and being cut or separated by the sharpknife-edges of p the ribs does not tend to entrap the air, which wouldresult in the formation of air-bubbles. The finished plate is free fromsuch air-bubbles. The ribs or projections on the table being continuousand parallel with the direction of motion of the roller also act aswedges or guides projectingup into the glass and tending to make theglass flow uniformly along the table, so as to distribute itself equallyover the surface thereof and preventingit from bunching up at any onepart of the same. When the glass has been rolled into a plate, asdescribed, it is of the utmost importance to removeit at once from thetable and to convey it as quickly as possible to the annealingoven. Ifallowed to grow cool, it will break easily and cannot be cut afterward.When it .has been rolled, the plate of glass cannot be lifted up fromthe plate, but must necessarily be drawn or slid along its surface ontothe wagon or other device that is to convey it to the annealing-oven. Inmy machine, as each prism which is formed on the under side of the glassmeshes with and just fits the corresponding trough or groove in thetable and as these troughs or grooves are of uniform size throughout andareparallel with one another, the plate when once rolled can be easilypulled off from the table without being distorted or pressed out ofshape. The ribs on the table act as guides or ways upon which the plateslides readily. .If the ribs on the plate were not parallel and were notmade in the manner described, the plate of glass would be forced out ofshape in pulling it off from the table and the edges of the metal ribson the table would be very liable to be broken. After the glass has beenrolled in the mannerdescribed it is drawn off from the table ontoa'carrier of some suitable kind and is conveyed at once to theannealing-oven. After the glass has been properly annealed it can be cutinto any shapes or forms that may be desired.

In operating this machine it will be found advisable to cool the tableoccasionally by dashing water upon it, for the reason that if the tableis allowed to get too hot the glass is apt to stick to the metal, and ifit becomes too cold the metal is apt to chill the glass.

Many advantages are secured bymy invention. Large plates .of prismaticglass 01 plates of any desired size can be manufactured quickly and atcomparatively slight cost. Such plates can be made thin enough to be cutinto panes of any desired shape: and size. The prismatic ribs which areformed upon the surface of the glass are very complete and full andperfect in outline. The machine itself is simple and inexpensive inconstruction and can be very easily operated. The table, with its ribsor projections, can be made easily and economically by simply runningthe table through a planing-machine. If the edge of any one of the ribsbecomes broken by reason of the glass being a little hard at that place,the machine can be repaired without difficulty by the use of a lathe orplaner. By using strips 6 6 of different thicknesses the thickness ofthe finished plate of glass can be changed and regulated as desired.

In the form of machine shown and described the roller is made to moveupon the table. It will be evident that the machine could easily bealtered so as to make the table move underneath the roller.

My invention is not limited to the specific form of it shown in thedrawings herein, as it may be varied in many ways without departing frommy invention. For example, it is not essential that the ribs upon thetable,

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which produce the prisms in the glass, should i I be of the same form incross-section as those shown in the drawings as long as they are of sucha form as to prisms in the glass.

The invention shown and described in this application forms a species ofmy generic invention shown and claimed in another application filed byme simultaneously with the filing of this application and known as No.681,011.

produce suitably-shaped I do not herein claim the method of making panesor windows of prismatic glass, which is partly described in the abovespecification, as the said method is claimed in other applications filedby me on November 30, 190l-to wit, Serial Nos. 84,207 and 8l,208-and Ido not herein claim the improved prismatic window which my improvedmachine is especially adapted to be used in making, as the said productis claimed in separate applications filed bymeon August 15, 1898-to wit,Serial Nos. 688,578 and 688,579.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a machine for making plates of prismatic glass the combination ofa revolving plain roller and a supporting-table provided with parallelribs of a prismatic form corresponding to the depressions to be made inthe glass, the said parts having a traversing motion relatively to eachother.

2. In a machine for making plates of prismatic glass the combination ofa revolving plain roller and a supporting-table provided with parallelribs of a prismatic form corresponding to the depressions to be made inthe glass, the said parts having a traversing motion relatively to eachother, the ribs on the table running in a direction parallel to thedirection of the traversing movement of the roller andtable relativelyto each other.

3. In a machine for making plates of prismatic glass the combination ofa revolving plain roller and a supporting-table provided with parallelribs triangular in cross section,

the said parts having a traversing motion relatively to each other.

4. In a machine for making plates of prismatic glass, the combination ofa plain revolving roller and a supporting-table provided with continuousribs parallel with the direction of motion of the movable part andtriangular in cross-section and having a cutting edge at their outerangle extending in a direction toward said roller, one of the partsbeing movable upon the other, substantially as set forth.

5. In a machine for making plates of prismatic glass, the combination ofa plain revolving roller and a supporting-table provided with continuousribs parallel with the direction of motion of the movable part andtriangular in cross-section and having a cutting edge at their outerangle extending in a direction toward'said roller, the roller beingmovable on the table, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the roller 7, the gear-.

'two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE K. CUMMINGS.

Witnesses:

H. K. CUMMINGS, has. 0. HOWELL.

